The 24-year-old has been out since September after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, and a previous report in The Sun suggested that it is likely to be next month at least before he returns to the first-team.

And after watching Eddie Howe's side take another step towards survival with a win over Swansea at the weekend, Redknapp claimed that the former Coventry man would have had no problem banging in the goals had injury not plagued his season.

"Had he not been injured, I am certain Callum Wilson would have been up challenging Kane and Vardy for the golden boot. It is the best crop of English strikers we have seen for a long while and should also give England a great shot this summer in the European Championships," he wrote in the Telegraph.

Wilson provided a glimpse of how well he would be able to cope at the highest level as he managed to make seven top flight appearances before being taken off during the early stages of their defeat to Stoke.

From those games, he scored five goals, including a stunning hat-trick to help Bournemouth go to another of Redknapp's former clubs West Ham and win 4-3.

And with safety now almost assured - with the Cherries 13 points clear of the bottom three - Howe has the luxury of being able to integrate Wilson back in slowly once he returns from injury to ensure that he is raring to go next season.